Can't Turn This Around
by TheRumor15
Summary: Cody notices a strange man that seems to be following him around the beat. He goes to Zack, but Zack insists that he's just being paranoid. When Cody is kidnapped, Zack must solve the riddle that he's given in order to save his brother.


Paranoid. That may have been what Cody was...Had he not known better. Cody had seen this man following his around the ship for the past week. The man in the black leather jacket, the dark brown facial hair, the sunglasses covering his eyes. Cody would know this man anywhere from how many times he'd seen him. The part that freaked him out the most was that this man seemed to be looking directly at Cody the whole time that he had been on the ship. Cody sighed and continued to fold towels. He just had to fold 5 more towels before he was finished his shift. As Cody finished folding his last towel, he glanced over at his brother, Zack who was cleaning up after his shift. Cody walked over to Zack.

"Need any help?" Cody asked, somewhat surprised at how weary he sounded. Zack looked up, also seemingly surprised.

"Are you alright, Cody?" Zack asked, observing his brother. "You're a little pale."

"I'm fine. Just exhausted, I guess. So, do you need any help?" Cody asked. Zack shook his head.

"That was the last cup. Thanks, though." Zack said, yawning after. For him, getting up for school in the morning was hard enough. Having to work the night shift didn't help. "How about we just head back to our rooms for the night?" Zack suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Cody agreed. He walked alongside Zack until they got to their rooms. After making sure that no one was watching, they exchanged a quick hug. It was one of those things that they didn't care for others to be around for. "See you tomorrow, Zack." Cody smiled. Zack nodded as if to say "You too."

As Cody laid in his bed, he could have sworn that he'd seen the door open, and the silhouette of a man standing there. He got out of bed and ran across the hall.

"Zack! Open the door!" Cody called. Zack opened the door, looking exhausted.

"This had better be important." Zack muttered, pulling Cody into his room.

"There's a man that's been following me around the ship, and just now, my door opened and there was someone there!" Cody explained all in one breath.

"Cody, no offence, but I think that you're just being a little paranoid..."

"Zack, you have to believe me."

"How about, if it still seems like he's following you around tomorrow, we can go see Mr. Moseby." Zack reasoned.

"Fine." Cody sighed. He slowly walked back into his room, and that was when he tripped, hit his head, and just before passing out, heard that man's laughter.

The next morning, Zack sat in the classroom with Bailey, Woody, London, and Marcus. He couldn't shake off the pit of terror that his stomach had become. Zack was NEVER in class before Cody. He attempted to pay attention as Ms Tutweiller taught the class, but to little avail. It only went downhill from there when Mr. Moseby showed up at the door.

"Zack, I need to see you in the hall." Zack hesitantly got up and followed Moseby.

"I didn't do it." Zack immediately argued, much less enthusiastic than usual.

"You aren't in trouble. Something's happened to Cody."

Everything in Zack's world stopped. Moseby silently handed Zack a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Zack asked.

"You need to read it." Moseby responded, already looking sick to his stomach.

Zack looked over the words on the paper:  
_Your brother is held, as was mine, and I can assure you, he won't be easy to find. I saw your heart skip, and here is a tip: Your brother is held in the heart of the ship.__  
_  
Zack started to shake. Someone had Cody. What was worse was the fact that this could have been prevented had he just listened to Cody, or let him spend the night.

"NO!" Zack let out an agonizing scream, a heart-wrenching sob following immediately after. He ran out onto the Sky Deck.

He started to flip tables and chairs while sobbing hysterically. He eventually just fell onto his knees, still sobbing.

Zack felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Moseby again.

"Calm down."

"How can you tell me to calm down? My baby brother is hurting somewhere! How can you tell me to calm down?" Zack screamed. "How can you say that when it's my fault?" He sobbed.

"Your baby brother? Zack, he's only 10 minutes younger..."

"What is wrong with you? Cody's missing, and you suddenly don't seem so upset! I swear, if you had something to do with it-"

"Zack, someone has to stay calm for Cody, and if you won't do it, then I will."

"I'll do whatever it takes to get my brother back." Zack said with a glare.

"You'll have to figure out that riddle, first...Good luck, Zack."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to inform the ship's security guards to start working full force."

Zack sighed and walked over to the railing.

"Cody, wherever you are right now, just know that I love you, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you back. I promise."

Zack stayed by the railing for hours, just praying for Cody.

*****  
"Look at him. He's not going to find you, Cody. He's one of the worst students on this ship."

"Don't talk about Zack that way!" Cody exclaimed.

"What are you going to do about it? Look at your position. You can't win."

With that, Cody was knocked out again.

*****  
Zack looked out at the sea. He was trying to figure out where Cody was. he felt tears run down his face again. He saw Bailey approaching him.

"Have you got any idea where Cody is?"

"I'm working on it. Now go away." Zack said coldly.

"He's my boyfriend. I can't just let it be."

"Yeah, well, he's my baby brother, and this is something I need to do on my own."  
With that, he walked away, leaving Bailey standing alone.

When he got to his room, Zack slammed the door.

"Where are you, Cody?" He asked hopelessly. Zack cried himself to sleep that night, Cody being the last thing that he thought about.

*****  
Cody opened his eyes. His head was killing him, and just before he spoke, he turned over and threw up. He looked around and found his captor. Matt, that's what his name was.

"Why are you doing this?" Cody asked, his voice hoarse due to dehydration.

"Do you really want to know? Because there's actually a story behind it." Matt sighed. Cody knew immediately that he was drunk.

"I don't exactly have anything else to do." Cody said with a glare.

"Watch your tone, and maybe I'll tell you."

"Sorry...Go for it?"

"Alright..."Matt slurred. "My brother, Brandon, and I were around your and Zack's age when we went on a cruise. One morning, I woke up, and Brandon was gone. There was only a riddle. I had to solve it to find my younger twin, and he was in the heart of the ship, too. After I'd finally solved it, and we found Brandon, he was barely alive. By the time we got him out...He was gone." Matt explained clearly in pain as he did so.

"I'm so sorry..." Cody said. Then, it hit him. "You're recreating your brother's murder...And I'm Brandon?" Cody cried.

"Yeah, I'm the guy who's upset after a divorce, and Zack gets to be me." Matt replied. "Sorry, Cody. You're going to die."

*****  
Zack opened his eyes with a start. He ran to a map of the ship.

"The heart of the ship...The central point." He muttered. As he looked over the map, he noticed that right in the middle of the ship was the machine room. "Oh no."

He ran as fast as he could to Mr. Moseby.

"Moseby! I know where Cody is!"

"Where is he?"

"In the machine room!"

"That's a locked room, Zack. I can't let you in there..." Moseby said.

"But Cody's in there!" Zack cried.

"Then I'll get him. I just can't let you in there, Zack."

"Mr. Moseby, he's my brother. You have to!" Zack whimpered. Moseby shook his head again. Zack held Moseby against the wall and got the keys. "Never try to hold me back from my brother." Zack growled. He ran down the ship levels until he got to the lowest one. He ran to the machine room. He heard footsteps behind him, and saw Moseby and Kirby.

"If we can't stop you, we can help you."

Kirby took the keys and unlocked the door, then, he opened it, not prepared for what he would see.  
Cody was tied up and on the conveyor belt of the wood chipper.

"Cody!" Zack cried. He ran in and just missed Matt's attempted punch. Cody had tears streaming down his face as Zack untied him. Zack wiped them away. "I'm here now. I've got you." He whispered as he guided Cody away from Matt.

That was when Matt broke down.

"How come you get a happy ending and I don't? How come you got Cody, but I can't have Brandon?" Matt screamed.

"He's just a hurt soul..." Cody whispered. He held onto Zack tightly.

Kirby and Moseby held onto Matt and took him away.

*****  
The next day, Cody told Zack about Matt's story. Moseby and Kirby told everyone that they didn't have to worry about Matt anymore, but refused to talk about what happened to him.  
All Zack know was that from then on, he was going to protect Cody, and never let anyone hurt him ever again, even if it meant risking his own life. Cody was everything to him, and without him, Zack was nothing.


End file.
